A SOCIETY ROMANCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8031, 8 June 1904, Page 2

A SOCIETY ROMANCE.

MARRIAGE Or LADY CONSTANCE MACKENZIE The marriage took i>l.ace, last month, in Sfc Andrew's Episcopal Church, Tain, of Lady Constance Mackenzie, second daughter >of the late Earl of Cromartie, Rosgehire, niece of the present Duke of Sutherland, and sister of the present Countess of Cromartie, with Sir Edward Austin. Stewart Richardson, Bar^., of Pitfour, Perthshire, and Captain in the Black Watch. Society only recently heard of her engagement to Captain Fitzgerald, a young officer in the Lancers, and the first public intimation of liel* marriage to Sir E4ward was made by the parish minister at the church of Kiluvuir on Easter Sunday. The wedding arrangements were made very quickly, and the guests were summoned by telegram. The bride's sister, the Countess of Cromartie, is at present in Italy, and none of the family were at the wedding, although it took placs within sight of Dunrobm. The chapel was not decorated, and there was no instrumental music. After the ceremony, however, the pipers struck up the clan inarch, and the newly-married couple drove to Tarbat House. Lady Constance is an unconventional lady. She is now in her twenty-third year, is of strong muscular build 1 , and delights in outdoor amusements. She is an excellent horsewoman, a crack shot, and a champion swimmjer. As becomes her unconventionality, she visited Somaliknd, and rode so-nie distance inland, wearing a soldier's grey shirt, ai cowboy's hat, and khaki trousers. She was sent back by the military authorities lest the Mullah- should swoop down on her. Then she went to the Delhi Dur bar as a guest of Lord and Lady Curzon. At home in 'the Highlands— which, she prefers to London society— she wears a short kilt in the Mackenzie tartan, knitted tartan stockings, a homespun coat, a waistcoat and a Tarn o' Shanter. Jt is said' that afc: small dinner parties at Tarbat she appears in a sort of " Waverley " costume. This consists of -the tartan kilt, velvet jacket and ruffles. ':■.■' It is not generally known, that Lady Constance's father was a brother of tie present Duke of Sutherland. He left all bis property to his elder daughter Sibell, with a charge of £13,000 on behalf of his second daughter. The elder sister, who is ftie only Count-ess lln her own right, married in Dec^auber,: 1 1899, Major Edward Blunt. U.A., and Lady' 1 Constance was one of her bridesmaids. The bridegroom is thirty-two years of age,\and succeeded his father in 1895. .j